Ship or vessel.



G. E. ELIA.

SHIP OR VESSEL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE z, 1911.

Patented Aug. 15, 1911.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0.,wAsmNc|TuN, D. c.

GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

SHIP OR VESSEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 191.1.

Original application led June 22, 1910, Serial No. 568,394. Divided and this application tiled .Tune 2, 1911. Serial No. 630,826.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Giovanni EMANUELE ELIA. a subject of the King ot Italy, and resident of Hotel de Crillon7 Place de la Concorde, Paris, in 'the Republic ot France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ships or Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

This application is a divisional application of the one tiled by me on the 22nd of June, 1910, Serial No. SGSOi.

The invention relates to ships or vessels and is particularly applicable for use in connection with vessels employed in naval warfare, the object being'to preserve the stability ot the same in the event ot their being subjected to the effects of a submarine explosion.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide a ship with thin outer plating and strong inner plating divided by partitions into a certain number of water tight compartments in each of which there is arranged a system of wire cables for the purpose of absorbing or neutralizing the effects of submarine explosion. This arrangement while very effective against the explosion of torpedoes or submarine mines, which aii'ect a comparatively small portion ot the ship, does not present sulticient protection against the explosion ot cables or explosives arranged in the form of a belt and extending the whole length of the ship. In this case the explosion ot' such a cable on one side of the ship would rupture the whole ot that side with the result that water would enter the aforesaid compartments thereby destroying the balance ot the ship and causing the same to heel over to such an extent that it would become illed with water and sink.

According to this invention each ot the water tight compartments is provided with a balance or displacement preserving device which can assume after the explosion a volume which is substantially equal to that of the corresponding watertight compartment with the object of preserving for each compartment substantially its original volume after the outer plating has been broken away with the result that the balance and displacement of the ship will remain the same.

.In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into edect I will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a cross section of part ot a ship provided with a balance and displacement preserving device in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a view of part of Fig. l drawn to a larger scale.

The sides of the ship are divided in the known manner into watertight compartments. the longitudinal walls of which are constituted by thin outer plating o and by strong inner plating c protected by a framework or system ot steel cables b arranged behind the plating a.

The balance or displacement preserving device comprises a iieXible envelop e capable of being folded into a small space behind a protecting plate 7 which is hinged to the supportfor the cables Zn or to any other suitable part ot the ships hull. Situated i'n the envelop c are two easily broken receptacles g and 7L drawn on a larger scale in Fig. 2, containing substances capable upon mixing with water ot' generating suiiicient gas to inliate the envelop c to an extent that is substantially equal to the volume of the compartmentin which the envelop is situated. Any suitable substance may be employed for generating gas in the envelop c when the ships side is subjected to the effects ot a submarine explosion. For eX- ample, water may be placed in the receptacle g and carbid of calcium in the receptacle 7L.

The outer plating a is preferably constituted of hard and brittle steel which will break up into small fragments under the influence ot a shoclr without being forced into the interior of the ship. Vhen the aforesaid plating is destroyed by the eifects of an explosion, the shock ruptures the two receptacles g and z.. The contents of these receptacles then become mixed and a certain quantity of acetylene gas is generated which intlates the envelop c and causes it to till its compartment and to force the system of cables b outwardly so that they practically take the place of the destroyed plating cl.

The details of construction can be variously modified without departing from the nature of the invention. For example the receptacle e shown in Figs. l and 2 may be constructed of any appropriate material such as rubbered fabric, leather, oilcloth or any other impermeable substance possessing the necessary amount of strength.

Having novi7 particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in What manner the same is to be per= formed, I declare that what I claim is z- 1. In a ships hull of the kind-set forth, the combination of Water-tight compartments, of a system 0f steel cables inside the compartments, and a balance or displacement preserving device situated in each of the aforesaid compartments, comprising a iieXible envelop, a protecting plate in front of the said envelop, tivo easily broken receptacles in the envelop, a substance in the receptacles, of such a nature that When mixed With the Water at the moment of an explosion', gas is generated in sufcient quantity to inflate the envelop for the purposespecified.

2. In a ships hull ofthe kind set forth, the combination of Water-tight compartments, of a balance or displacement preserving device in each compartment in combination With steel cables inside the compartments, act-ing as a preserving medium for the said compartments at the moment of an explosion.

In testimonywhereof I have hereunto placed my hand, at Marseille France this lifteenth day of May 1911.Y

GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA.

In the presence of two Witnesses- ALLAN MACFARLANE, PAUL H'. GANS.

Co'pies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

